Junkers Ju 87

"Stuka" redirects here. For the artillery piece nicknamed the "Walking Stuka", see Wurfrahmen 40.

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka as it became universally known (from Sturzkampfflugzeug or German: dive bomber - literally plunging combat aircraft) was a German combat aircraft operational from 1937 and throughout World War II, and easily recognisable by its inverted gull wings, fixed undercarriage and its infamous Jericho-Trompete (Jericho Trumpet) wailing siren — though the siren was only fitted to a few aircraft because of the extra drag induced on the rather slow aircraft.

General description

File:Junkers Ju87.jpg

A Kette of Ju 87 circa 1939-40.

File:Luftsieg ueber Polen.jpg

Nazi propaganda image "Air victory over Poland" with an artistic vision of a Junkers Ju 87

Junkers Ju 87 G-2 (Royal Air Force Museum Hendon)

Junkers Ju 87 G-2 (Royal Air Force Museum Hendon)

The Stuka's design included some innovative features, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the plane recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high acceleration, and a wind-powered siren under its nose (later mounted to the front upper section of each fixed landing gear strut) that wailed during dives to frighten its victims. These were named Jericho-Trompeten, or "Trumpets of Jericho", by Junkers and were a form of psychological warfare. Its rugged fixed undercarriage allowed it to land and take-off from improvised airstrips close to the battlefront, giving close support to the advancing German forces. 5,752 Ju 87 of all versions were built between 1936 and August 1944.

Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective, the Stuka suffered from low speed and poor maneuverability, with little defensive armament, making it highly vulnerable to enemy fighters. The Germans learned during the Battle of Britain that air superiority must be obtained before ground attack aircraft could be effectively used. After the Battle of Britain, the Stuka was little used in Western Europe, but it remained effective further south where Allied fighters were in short supply, most notably in the battles of Crete, Malta and Leros.

Stukas were used in vast numbers on the Eastern Front, although the steady rise in Soviet airpower as the war progressed meant that Stuka squadrons suffered very heavy losses by the final stages of the war.

Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most notable Stuka ace, and the most highly decorated German soldier of World War II. (Hermann Goering was awarded the Großkreuz des eisernen Kreuzes, but not for achievements in battle.)

Operational History

Condor Legion and the Spanish Civil War

Among the many German designs that participated in the Spanish civil war, a single Ju 87A-0 was allocated the serial number 29-1 and was assigned to the Vj/88, the experimental staffel of the Legion's fighter wing. The only known information pertaining to its combat career in Spain is that it was piloted by Unteroffizier Herman Beuer. It took part in the Nationalist offensive against Bilbao in February 1937. Presumably it was shipped back to the Reich in secrecy.

In January 1938 three Ju 87A-1s "Antons" arrived. The Ju 87s spatted undercarriage however sank into the soft surface, as a result these were removed. Another problem was that the Ju 87As 500 kg bomb-load could only be carried if the gunner vacated his seat. Therefore the bomb-load was restricted to 250 kg. The Stukas supported the Nationalist forces and carried out anti-shipping missions until they returned to Reich in October 1938.

The Antons were replaced by five Ju 87B-1s Bertas. With the war close to concluding the Bertas found little to do and found themselves supporting formations of Heinkel He 111s attacking enemy positions. As the Ju 87A-0 had been, the Bertas were withdrawn discreetly back to the Reich.

The experience of the Spanish Civil War had been invaluable. Air and ground crews perfected skills, and the equipment could be evaluated in combat conditions. Although one serious experience had been lacking - numerical and well coordinated fighter opposition.

Poland

On 1 September 1939 the Wehrmacht invaded Poland triggering World War Two. At exactly 04.26 hours a Kette of Ju 87s of 3./StG 1 lead by Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Bruno Dilly carried out the first bombing attack of the war. The aim was to destroy the charges wired to the bridges over the Vistula. The mission failed and the Poles destroyed the bridge before the Germans could reach it.

It was a Ju 87 that achieved the first air victory during World War II on 1 September 1939, when Kettenführer Leutnant Frank Neubert of I./StG 2 'Immelmann' shot down a Polish PZL P.11c fighter aircraft piloted by Captain Mieczysław Medwecki, who was killed in the engagement.

The Luftwaffe had few anti-shipping naval units like 4.(St)/TrGr 186. This unit performed effectively sinking the 1540-ton destroyer Wicher and minelayer Gryf of the small but modern Polish Navy.

On one occasion six Polish divisions trapped by encircling German forces were forced to surrender after a relentless four day assault by StG 51, StG 76 and StG 77. Employed in this assault were the 50 kg fragmentation bombs which caused appalling damage to enemy ground troops. Demoralized, the Poles surrendered. The Stukas also participated in the Battle of Bzura which resulted in the breaking of Polish ability to resist effectively. The Stukageschwaders alone dropped 388 tonnes of bombs during this battle.

Once again enemy air opposition was light, the Stukawaffe lost just 31 machines during the campaign.

Norway

Operation Weserübung began on 9 April 1940 with the invasions of Norway and Denmark, Denmark capitulated within the day whilst Norway continued to resist with British and French help.

The campaign was not the classic Blitzkrieg of fast moving armoured divisions supported by air-power as the mountainous terrain ruled out close Panzer/Stuka cooperation. Instead the Germans relied on Fallschirmjäger (paratroops), airborne troops transported by Junkers Ju 52s and specialised mountain (ski troops). The strategic nature of the operation made the Stuka essential. The Ju 87s were given the role of ground attack and anti-shipping missions. The Stuka was to prove the most effective weapon in the Luftwaffe's armoury carrying out the latter.

The Stukageschwaders were now equipped with the new Ju 87R Richard, which differed from the Berta as the 50 kg bomb racks had been replaced by external fuel tanks increasing range. This was vital as Norway's coastline alone stretched for some 12,000 miles (19,300 km).

The first Stukas took off at 10.59 hours from occupied airfields to destroy Oscarsborg Fortress. The Stukas of I.StG 1, failed to silence its batteries contributing to the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher and causing the disruption of the amphibious landings in Oslo through Oslofjord.

The Stukas however had numerous successes against Allied Naval vessels. HMS Bittern was sunk on 30 April. The French super-destroyer Bison was sunk along with HMS Afridi by Stukageschwader 1 on 3 May 1940.

France and the Low Countries

The Stukawaffe had learned some lessons from the Polish and Norwegian campaigns. The failures of Oberleutnant Bruno Dilly in Poland and the Stukas of I.StG 1 to silence the Oscarborg fort ensured even more attention was paid to pin-point bombing during the Phoney War period. This was to pay off in the Western campaign.

When Fall Gelb began on 10 May 1940 the Stuka helped swiftly neutralise the fortress of Eben Emael. The HQ of the Commander responsible for ordering the destruction of the bridges along the Albert Canal was stationed in the village of Lanaeken (14km to the north). However the Stuka demonstrated its accuracy when the small building was destroyed after receiving four direct hits. As a result only one of the three bridges was destroyed allowing the German Army to rapidly advance.

The Stukageschwader were also instrumental in achieving the breakthrough at Sedan. The Stukawaffe flew 300 sorties against French positions, with Stukageschwader 77 alone flying 201 individual missions.

The Luftwaffe also benefited from excellent ground-to-air communications throughout the campaign. Radio equipped forward liaison officers could call upon the Stukas and direct them to attack enemy positions along the Axis of advance. In some cases the Stukas responded to requests in 10-20 minutes. Oberstleutnant Hans Seidemann (Richthofen's Chief of Staff) said that "never again was such a smoothly functioning system for discussing and planning joint operations achieved".

During the Battle of Dunkirk 89 merchantmen (of 126,518 grt) were lost, and the Royal Navy lost 29 of its 40 destroyers sunk or seriously damaged, mostly at the hands of the Ju 87s. Enemy airpower was ineffective and disorganised, as a result the Stukas losses were mainly due to ground fire. Some 120 machines, one-third of the Stuka force was destroyed or damaged to all causes.

Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain proved for the first time that the Junkers Ju 87 was vulnerable in hostile skies against well organised and determined fighter opposition.

Steady losses had occurred throughout their participation in the battle. On 18 August, a day known as the 'hardest day' as both sides suffered heavy losses, the Stuka was withdrawn after losing 16 of its number and numerous others damaged. The myth of the Stuka was shattered.

North Africa and the Mediterranean

In response to the Italian defeats in Greece and North Africa the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ordered the deployment of some German forces to these theatres. Amongst the Luftwaffe contingent deployed was the Gescwadersatb StG3 which touched down in Sicily in December 1940. In the next few days two Gruppen - some 80 Stukas were deployed under X.Fliegerkorps. The first task of the Korps was to attack British shipping passing between Sicily and Africa. The Ju 87s first made their presence by subjecting the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to heavy attack. The crews were confident that they could sink it given the flight deck spanned approximately 7,000 square metres.

On 10 January 1941 the Stuka crews were told four direct hits with 500 kg bombs would be enough to sink the carrier. The Ju 87s delivered six and three damaging near-misses. But the ships engines remained untouched and it made for the dubious sanctury of Malta.

Many ex- Luftwaffe Ju 87s were handed over to their Italian ally, the Regia Aeronautica and re-named the Picchiatelli. Some of the Picchiatelli saw action in the opening phase of the Italian invasion of Greece in October 1940. The number was ineffective and the Italian forces were quickly pushed back. By early 1941 the Greeks had pushed into Italian occupied Albania. Once again Hitler decided to send military aid to his Allies.

In March the pro-German Yugoslav government was toppled. A furious Hitler ordered the attack to be expanded to include Yugoslavia. Operation Marita commenced on 7 April. The Stuka once again spearheaded the air assault with a frontline strength of 300 machines. Yugoslav resistance in the air was minimal. As a result the Stukas fearsome reputation returned. Operating unmolested the Stukawaffe took a heavy toll of ground forces. The light losses incurred were a result of ground fire. The effectiveness of the dive-bombers helped bring about Yugoslav capitulation in just ten days.

The Stukas also took a peripheral part in Operation Punishment - Hitler's retribution bombing of Belgrade. The dive-bombers were to attack airfields and known anti-aircraft gun positions whilst the level bombers struck civilian targets. Belgrade was badly damaged, and a reported 15,000 people were killed or injured.

In Greece, despite British aid, little air opposition was encountered. The Stukas were able to roam the skies and attack targets unmolested. As the Allies withdrew and resistance collapsed the Allies began evacuating to Crete. The Stukas proved effective in inflicting severe casualties to Allied shipping. On 22 April the 1,389 ton destroyers Psara and Ydra were sunk. In the next two days the Greek Naval base at Piraeus suffered the loss of 23 vessels to Stuka attack.

As the Battle of Crete drew to a close the Allies began yet another withdrawal. The Stuka and their crews once again proved exceptional against enemy warships. On 21 May HMS Juno was sunk, on the 22 May the battleship HMS Warspite, and the cruiser HMS Gloucester were damaged . The Ju 87s also crippled HMS Fiji that morning, (she was later finished off by Bf 109 fighter bombers) whilst destroying HMS Greyhound with a single hit. On 23 May the Royal Navy also lost HMS Kashmir, HMS Kelly sunk followed by HMS Hereward on the 26 May. HMS Orion and HMS Dido were also severely damaged.

However despite initial successes, the Stuka remained vulnerable. Perhaps the prime example of the type's vulnerability to fighters, even at this stage in the war, was the shooting down of five Stukas in the space of a few minutes, by the Australian ace Clive Caldwell in a P-40 Tomahawk, on December 5, 1941, over Libya.

The Stukageschwaders faithfully supported Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommels Deutsches Afrika Korps in its two year campaign in North Africa, helping it achieve considerable success. However as the tide turned and Allied airpower grew in the Autumn of 1942, the Ju 87 became little more than cannon fodder. The old frailties emerged and losses were heavy. The entry of the Americans into North Africa during Operation Torch made the situation far worse. The Stuka became obsolete in what was now a fighter-bomber's war. The Bf 109 and Fw 190 could at least choose to fight on equal terms after dropping their ordnance whereas the Stuka enjoyed no such option. An example of the Junkers vulnerability was demonstrated on 11 November 1942 when 15 Ju 87Ds (Doras) were all shot down by USAF P-40Fs in minutes.

By 1943, the Allies enjoyed total air superiority in North Africa. The Ju 87s ventured out in Kette strength only, often jettisoning their bombs at the first sight of enemy aircraft and making "a run for home".

The Dive-bombers continued to support operations in Southern Europe; after the Italian surrender in September 1943, the Ju 87 helped Germany achieve the last campaign-sized victory over the Western Allies. The Greek Dodecanese Islands had been occupied by the British. The Luftwaffe reacted by committing 75 Stukas to recover the Islands. With the RAF bases some 500 km away the Junkers helped the German landing forces achieve a rapid conquest of the Islands.

The remaining Stuka units continued to operate during the Italian campaign, but mainly at night as to avoid Allied fighters.

Design History

In the early 1920's the Dessau-based Junkers Flugzeugwerke AG concentrated upon military rather than civil aircraft. One such product was the Junkers K 47. The K 47 first flew in 1929, and was found to be capable of carrying a 100 kg bomb-load. After the Nazis had come to power they were designated A 48s, although these machines had "uncranked" wings and twin tail-fin units. Despite initial competition from the Henschel Hs 123 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium turned to Herman Pohlmann of Junkers and co-designer of the K 47 (the other, Karl Plauth, had been killed in a flying accident).

Design of the Ju 87 had begun in 1933 as part of the Sturzbomber-programm. However the project began poorly, the Ju 87 V1, powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine V 12 cylinder liquid cooled engine, and sporting a twin-tail crashed in 1935. Square twin fins and rudders proved too weak and during dive testing they collapsed and the aircraft crashed. This prompted a change of tail design to single Vertical stabilizer.

Ju 87A

The second prototype had a redesigned single fin and rudder and a 610 PS (602 hp, 449 kW) Junkers Jumo 210A engine. After official evaluation in 1936 against three other competing aircraft, orders for 10 aircraft were placed for it, as well as for the Heinkel He 118. The initial production variant was the Ju 87 A-1, powered by a 640 PS (631 hp, 471 kW) Jumo 210C, which began to replace the Henschel Hs 123 biplanes. At least three of these aircraft were tested under operational conditions by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War.

Ju 87B

The next major variant was the Ju 87 B-1 (Berta) with a considerably larger engine, its Junkers Jumo 211D generating 1,200 PS (1,184 hp, 883 kW), and the fuselage and landing gear were completely redesigned. This new design was again tested in Spain, and after proving its abilities there, production was ramped up to 60 per month. As a result, by the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe had 336 Ju 87 B-1s on hand. The Ju 87 B-2s that followed had some improvements and were built in a number of variants that included ski-equipped versions, and at the other end, with a tropical operation kit called the Ju 87 B-2/trop. Italy's Regia Aeronautica received a number of the B-2s and named them the Picchiatello, while others went to the other members of the Axis, including Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.

A long range version of the Ju 87B was also built, known as the Ju 87R. They were primarily intended for anti-shipping missions. Internal fuel capacity was increased by adding some inner-wing tanks and by using two 300-liter under-wing drop tanks. Bomb carrying ability was reduced to a single 250 kg bomb if the aircraft was fully loaded with fuel. The naval variant of the Ju 87B was known as the Ju 87C, and these were built to operate from the German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. In any case the carrier was never completed, and all of these were converted back to the Ju 87B standard.

Ju 87D

File:Ju 87D Stukas over Russia.jpg

Junkers Ju 87D Stuka dive-bombers on a mission over the Russian countryside. The Ju 87G variant was used to devastating effect as a "tankbuster" with twin 37 mm cannons fitted under the wings.

Despite having its vulnerability to enemy fighters exposed during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe had no choice but to continue the Stuka's development as there was no replacement aircraft in sight. The result was the D-series. The Ju 87 D-series received better streamlined oil and water coolers, and an aerodynamically refined cockpit with better visibility and space. In addition, armor protection was increased and a new dual-barrel 7.92 mm MG 81Z machine gun with an extremely high rate of fire was installed in the rear defensive position. The engine power was increased again, the Jumo 211 J-1 now delivering 1,420 PS (1,401 hp, 1,044 kW).

Production of the D-1 variant started in 1941 with 476 deliveries, rising to 917 D-1 and D-3 in 1942. The D-series saw extensive use in the Eastern Front and the Middle East. Bomb carrying ability was massively increased from 500 kg in the B-version to 1,800 kg in the D-version (max load for short ranges, overload condition), a typical bomb load ranged from 500 to 1,200 kg.

The D-2 was a variant used as a glider tug by converting older D-series airframes. The D-3 was an improved D-1 with more armor for its ground-attack role. The D-4 designation applied to a prototype torpedo-bomber version. The Ju 87 D-5 was another ground-attack variant that appeared in mid 1943, it had the outer wing panels extended, dive brakes were removed and the wing-mounted 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns were replaced by 20 mm MG 151 cannons.

The D-6 was not built, for unknown reasons. The D-7 was another ground attack aircraft based on D-1 airframes upgraded to D-5 standard (armor, wing cannons, extended wing panels), while the D-8 was similar to the D-7 but based on D-3 airframes. It's a common myth that the D-7 and D-8 were specifically designed and built for night fighting as they were solely based on converted airframes and used for multiple mission types.

Another variant derived from the Ju 87D airframe was called the Ju 87H, and saw service as a trainer.

Ju 87G

File:Ju87g 37mm.jpg

Ju 87 G-2 "Kanonenvogel" with its 37 mm guns.

With the G variant, the aging airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka and was deployed on the Eastern Front starting in the early months of 1943. The G-1 was armed with two 37 mm cannons mounted on under-wing gondolas, each loaded with a 6-round magazine of armour piercing tungsten ammunition. With these weapons the Kanonenvogel ("cannon-bird"), as it was nicknamed, proved spectacularly successful at the hands of the Luftwaffe ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The G-2 was similar to the G-1 but was based on the longer-winged D-5.

While still slow, its stable attitude, large wings and low stall speed were valuable in the acquisition of slow moving targets, such as assault boats and ground vehicles. The G-1 even influenced the design of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, with Hans Rudel's book, Stuka Pilot, being required reading for all members of the A-X project.

Diving procedure

Flying at 4,600 meters (15,000 ft), the pilot located his target through a bombsight window in the cockpit floor. After opening the dive brakes and retarding his throttle, he then rolled the aircraft 180°, automatically nosing the aircraft into a dive. Red tabs protruded from the upper surfaces of the wing as a visual indicator to the pilot that in case of a g induced black-out, the automatic dive recovery system would be activated. The Stuka dived at a 60 - 90 degree angle, accelerating to 600 km/h (350 mph).

When the aircraft was reasonably close to the target, a light on the contact altimeter came on to indicate the bomb-release point, usually at a minimum height of 450 m (1,500 ft). The pilot released the bomb by depressing a knob on the control column to release weapons and to initiate the automatic pull-out mechanism. An elongated U-shaped crutch located under the fuselage would swing the bomb out of the way of the propeller, and the aircraft would automatically begin a 6 g pullout.

Once the nose was above the horizon, dive brakes were retracted, the throttle was opened, and the propeller was set to climb. The pilot regained control and resumed normal flight.

In his book Wings of the Luftwaffe, Royal Navy test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown reported that a captured Ju 87 D-3 he test-flew after the war felt "absolutely right" diving at a 90° straight down angle, and stated that he had no doubt of the Stuka's ability in its assigned role.

Other designs

The concept of dive bombing became so popular among the leadership of the Luftwaffe, that it became almost obligatory in new aircraft designs. Later bomber models like the Junkers Ju 88 and the Dornier Do 217 were fitted for dive bombing. Even the giant Heinkel He 177 bomber was initially supposed to have dive bombing capabilities — a requirement that contributed much to the failure of the design.

Once the Stuka became too vulnerable to growing fighter opposition on all fronts, work was done to develop a replacement. All dedicated close support designs on the drawing board did not progress much further due to the war situation and technological obstacles. In response the Luftwaffe decided to settle on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft. The Fw-190 F and G series aircraft became good attack aircraft in their own right. The fighter bomber supplanted the Ju-87 along with other minor aircraft in the close support role from 1943 until the end of the war.

Operators

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force

Croatia

• Croatian Air Force

Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovakian Air Force operated captured aircraft postwar.

Germany

• Luftwaffe

Hungary

• Hungarian Air Force

Italy

• Regia Aeronautica

Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Force received Ju 87s for trials.

Romania

• Romanian Air Force

Slovak Republic

• Slovak Air Force

Yugoslavia

• SFR Yugoslav Air Force operated captured aircraft postwar.

Survivors

Two intact Ju 87s survived and few more wrecks are on display today.

• The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry has a Ju 87 R-2/Trop., this was captured in Libya 1941 and subsequently sent to the US.
• A Ju 87 G-2, captured by British troops in Germany in 1945, is displayed in the RAF Museum in London.
• The Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin has the wreckage of two complete aircraft that were recovered from separate crash sites near Murmansk in 1990 and 1994.
• The Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum displays the remains of an aircraft that crashed near Saint-Tropez in 1944 and was raised from the sea-bed in 1989.
• In October 2006, another Stuka was found underwater, near Rhodes

Specifications

	Ju 87A	Ju 87B	Ju 87D	Ju 87G
Production	1936-1938	1938-1941	1941-1944	refitted Ju 87D
Role	ground attack	ground attack	ground attack	anti-tank
Length	10.8 m	11.1 m	11.1 m	11.1 m
Wingspan	13.8 m	13.8 m	13.8 m	13.8 m
Height	3.9 m	3.9 m	3.9 m	3.9 m
Wing area	31.90 m²	31.90 m²	31.90 m²	31.90 m²
Empty weight	2273 kg	2760 kg	2810 kg	3600 kg
Maximum weight	3324 kg	4400 kg	5720 kg	5100 kg
Engine	Junkers Jumo 210D	Junkers Jumo 211Da	Junkers Jumo 211J	Junkers Jumo 211J
Maximum Power	720 hp	1200 hp	1410 hp	1410 hp
Maximum Power	530 kW	883 kW	1037 kW	1037 kW
Maximum speed	310 km/h	383 km/h	408 km/h	375 km/h
Dive speed	550 km/h	600 km/h	600 km/h
Range with bombs	800 km	600 km	1165 km	1000 km
Ceiling	9430 m	8100 m	9000 m	7500 m
Climb		3000 m in 8.8 min	3000 m in 14 min	3000 m in 13.6 min
Forward guns	1×7.92 mm MG 17	2×7.92 mm MG 17	2×7.92 mm MG 17	2×7.92 mm MG 17 2×37 mm BK 37
Rear guns	1×7.92 mm MG 15	1×7.92 mm MG 15	1×7.92 mm MG 81Z (twin MG 81)	1×7.92 mm MG 81Z (twin MG 81)
Maximum bombs	250 kg	500 kg	1800 kg	none
Typical bombs	1×250 kg	1×250 kg + 4×50 kg	1×500/1000 kg + 4×50 kg	none

References

Notes

Bibliography

• E.R Hooton, (2007) Luftwaffe at War; Blitzkrieg in the West, London: Chervron/Ian Allen ISBN 978-1-85780-272-6.
• Mondey, David (1996). Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press. ISBN 1-85152-996-7
• Weal, John (1997). Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader 1937-41. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-636-1
• Weal, John (1998). Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-722-8

External links

• The Hugo Junkers Homepage
• Lemairesoft
• Luftwaffe Resource Group
• Stuka Color Footage
• Stuka Operational Details including Pre-Dive Checklist Diagrams Sound Effects etc
• Junkers Aircraft on Display
• Some high quality and high-res photos, including replicas and surviving aircraft in museums
• Sound of flying Stuka
• Test flight and combat debut of the "Kanonenvogel" - wartime video
• German WW2 newsreels, showing Stukas in combat

Related content

Related development Ju 187 Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Breda Ba.65
• Caproni A.P.1
• Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik
• Douglas SBD Dauntless
• Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
• Aichi D3A "Val"
• Blackburn Skua
• Heinkel He 118
• Yokosuka D4Y
• Henschel Hs 123
• Henschel Hs 129

Related lists List of military aircraft of Germany - List of bomber aircraft